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Madeleine

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    Madeleine's Book Log 2023

    in Book Blogs - Discuss your reading!

    Posted

    Murder on the Ile Sordou by M L Longworth- this is the fourth book in the Provencal murder mystery series, and while I've enjoyed the others that I've read in this series, this one took a long time to get going, probably because it takes the two main characters, Judge Antoine Verlaque and his girlfriend, Marine Bonnet, a university lecturer, out of their usual setting of Aix-en-Provence, which means that, apart from the police investigator Paulik, most of the usual characters don't appear.  The couple are on holiday on the titular island, which is just off the coast near Marseille, and are staying at an exclusive hotel, which is re-opening after several years of inactivity.  There is a select band of guests also staying, and we are introduced to them, rather slowly, one by one, as they each get a whole chapter dedicated to their back story, ditto the hotel staff.  This dragged things somewhat and I think a lot of the back stories could have been explained in a couple of pages, instead of several pages.  Anyway eventually someone gets murdered and we're back to the usual format of a criminal investigation, with the island sealed off and the police brought over from the mainland.  Naturally everyone on the island is a suspect, and it soon becomes apparent that the answer lies in someone's past, the question is, who's past?  The book did pick up at this point but it took a long time to do so, so not bad once it finally got going with an actual story.  6/10

    What Are You Up To Today?

    in General Chat

    Posted

    Same for me, quiet for a while and then lots all at once, the last few days have been a bit full on - met up with friends last Sunday, then Monday I also sadly had a funeral, then a break for a few days and then Saturday had a quiz evening, yesterday my choir sang at a local  Christmas fare which was great fun, quiet again for a few days then off with friends on Thursday to a gallery, first Christmas lunch of the season on Saturday and another choir gig on Sunday, this time at the local shopping mall, though I don't  think the acoustics will be that good, as those places tend to be a bit like echo chambers.  Enjoy whatever you're doing!

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